Janet Fagan, M. Ed, ACC, JCTC, Life-Career-Business Coach

By Janet Fagan, Sedona Times contributing writer: In 1998, after decades of traditional psychology focusing on fixing problems and repairing weaknesses, Martin Seligman called for practitioners to focus on human strengths and virtues, and on “what goes right in life” (“positive psychology”). Positive psychologists were interested in two key questions:

1. Why do some of us thrive and live a life beyond ‘good enough’, despite challenges that are part of life’s journey?
2. What can we learn from their resilience to improve our own well being?

Currently, positive psychology is flourishing. Articles have increased tenfold over the last decade and a course in positive psychology is the largest class at Harvard. The link to coaching has become quite strong.  Positive psychology provides coaching with a theoretical foundation that sets it apart from pop psychology and self help books.  This foundation and highly validated interventions also add depth, allowing more constructive changes for clients. While this particularly applies to business and career coaching, it also significantly applies to our everyday lives. There are several commonly asked questions regarding strength based coaching:

●   What exactly is strength based coaching?

Strengths are our natural talents:  the interests we develop and skills and knowledge we acquire…what we’re best at and what we most enjoy doing.  Using our core competencies on a consistent basis allows us to tap into our full potential and drives peak performance.  Yet, due to several factors: a traditional performance based focus on overcoming weaknesses, lack of trained leadership in companies and general unfamiliarity with any strength based models, only about 30% of employees have the chance to do what they do best on a regular basis.  Even parents sometimes absorb this model and tend to be over-critical rather than complementing their child on how well they did something.   

●   What evidence is there that strength based coaching works?

From a purely business perspective, the return on investment is significant. Studies increasingly produce tangible business outcomes. Noted improvements include:

1.  Increased Job Satisfaction:   A 2007 Gallup survey revealed that organization with this leadership model see their employees six times more engaged than in ‘problem solving focused’ organizations. 

     Engaged employees, in turn, experience greater job satisfaction and are less inclined to leave the organization.  Employers agree that retaining talented employees had a direct impact on the bottom line.

1. Higher Income Levels:   Longitudinal studies show that magnifying “what’s best” boosts self-confidence levels, which lead to high income levels, productivity, sales and revenue. 
2. Innovation:  This business model fosters creativity where competencies are concentrated, resulting in more innovation.   Rather than using all their energy to overcome ‘so called’ weaknesses and encouraging employees to become more ‘well-rounded’, individuals are instead allowed to build on their core strengths.
3. Resilience:  Knowing and nurturing strengths develops resilience, an essential resource, particularly in the face of an ever-changing business environment. Mental/physical well-being results in positive emotions and generates health and success.
4. Positive Leadership:   Managers who are trained in this approach become more effective leaders.  Positive leadership serves both as a motivator and role model, serving to drive employee performance.  When forming a team, managers look at the talents that each team member brings.  It is no surprise that successful global corporations have bought into the strength-based model.  For instance, Microsoft has a Director of  Employee Capability and Empowerment position. 

Peter Reding, MCC, MCLC, MBA, founder of Coach for Life, has created a Foundation for Inspired Learning, that is related to the positive psychology theory.  The Inspired Learning Model™ articulates a clear and compelling set of guidelines where the learner is empowered and celebrated for every step of his or her learning process. 

Whether personal or business related, it is incredibly satisfying to look at the ‘glass half full’ rather than ‘half empty’.  It also is important to look at our individual values (what drives us) as well as what we do best.  By tapping into strengths rather than mitigating weaknesses, we can all achieve satisfaction in what we do.  Whether we work full or part-time, volunteer or are fully retired, coming from and being recognized for our strengths can lead us beyond ‘good enough’.

Janet L. Fagan, M. Ed, ACC, JCTC, Life-Career-Business Coach, can be contacted at (928) 203-4816 or at www.fagancoaching.com.